Building a Brain in the Lab

Everything that makes us human is located within 1.4 kilograms of yellowish tissue composing the human brain. It is here that our thoughts develop, here that we feel love or hate, and where the most creative and most evil ideas of humankind arise. This walnut-shaped structure is also the most complex organ nature has generated. The brain harbors about 86 billion neurons, or nerve cells, that have to be born at the right time, migrate to the right place, and wire up in the right way if we are to survive and thrive.

This is a preview. Make a selection below to access this issue.Already have access? Sign in.

Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at www.springernature.com/us). Scientific American maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers.